Moose and The Weekend Warrior Blues

I'm very thankful to have gotten out for a couple of runs this weekend, especially after failing to get out during the week. The first one was on Saturday morning after a big breakfast at the local general store with Halfbomb and Kate. Halfbomb had just run the 100-Mile Wilderness the weekend before in an impressive 42 hours and change, so something light, slow, and not terribly hilly was on the agenda.

We decided to visit a local land trust that goes along the Union River. What it lacks in a lengthy network of trails it makes up for with beautiful scenery. It was perfect for what we had in mind.

We got a somewhat unexpected surprise when we came across a moose! Pretty big sucker, but I didn't get a good enough look at its head to tell if it was a bull or a cow. Think ghost in the mist, but more of a shadow through the brush. It didn't want to have anything to do with us so, despite its size, it quickly made an exit, though shortly thereafter we saw its tracks rejoin the trail after it had cut through the woods.

Unfortunately, no pics. Halfbomb always has his camera/phone with him, but his battery died just before we ran. Go figure.

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Sunday. Halfbomb had left the day before. I woke up and was eager to hit the woods out back, especially with the cool autumn temps. I decided to wear my running vest, mostly so I could carry my phone to take some pictures. Even if I didn't spot any cool wildlife, I knew the scenery would be impressive with the fall colors starting to emerge.

No physical moose sightings, though I did come across the fresh tracks from one. Quite a few deer tracks also. Their rut will begin soon, so I imagine they're starting to get antsy.

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Will just play the running by ear for now. My day is just too long at the moment with cross country season and, well, calling a spade a spade I just don't have the motivation to get out in the early morning. Plus, I can't find my headlamp! We still have a few unpacked boxes, so perhaps it's in one of those. I need to find it soon, not just for running, but for occasional forays for things that need to be done outside at night around our homestead.

If nothing else, cross country season ends in a month. I would still have time to get into decent running shape for snowshoe racing season.

Lazy Sunday

I ran a very easy pace in the woods behind my house this morning, crossing the river and running the loop up to Ducktail Pond. It was very pretty at the pond, with the beginnings of the leaves changing their colors enhanced against the backdrop of a rainy sky.

It's been a good past three days for running. If I can manage to get out for two early morning runs this week, I'll be very happy.

Ran 6.7 miles @ 10:59/mile pace (includes several minutes to stop and look at the pond).
Trails, logging roads.
Very hilly.
Lower 60s, overcast, rainy.
La Sportivas, shorts, short sleeved shirt.

A Fine Saturday

After a super busy weekend last week, which involved getting up at 4am for out of town cross country meets and volunteering at the Bradbury Bruiser, it was nice to stay fairly local.

I still had to get up a little early to meet up with the cross country team for practice at the Bangor City Forest. Ended up running somewhere between four and a half to five miles with them at an easy pace. I regretted forgetting my GPS, as I'd like to start monitoring my mileage and pace more closely.

Afterwards, I ran some errands, including a futile attempt to drop off recycling. The bin is normally at our post office, but it wasn't there today. I assume it was taken away to be emptied. Nearby are several blueberry fields, which are pretty striking this time of year, so I stopped and took a few pics:

Kate and I then raked up fallen apples in our yard while harvesting a few to be used in pies. We followed that up with a hike up Bald Bluff. Nothing too grand, as the route we did was just a few miles long. We took our time on the trails, enjoying the scenery and each other's company. Fall colors are in the very early stages, but I imagine this place will look even more amazing in a few weeks when the leaves approach their peak.

A rainy day is expected tomorrow. My plan is to hit some more trails before the football games start. I imagine it'll be quite muddy out, ergo I'm grateful for our house's mudroom.

10th Anniversary of Blogging

It's now been exactly one decade since my first post. A lot has happened in the past ten years. Some highlights (and lowlights), in no particular order, include:

• Running my first 50 miler
• Running my first 100 miler
• Getting over stress fractures
• Qualifying for Boston 
• Running Boston
• 14 month battle with plantar fasciitus
• Getting married
• Running several more ultras
• Lot's of epic mountain runs
• Moving to the Downeast backwoods
• Self-publishing a few books
• And more

Switching gears to the present, time has not been on my side lately. I now teach high school English, and as a result of the added pressure that comes from a new curriculum, I had no plans of coaching cross country. Long story short, the head coach of the school I teach at needed some help, and now I'm filling in for a paid position as an assistant. It's great and I love it, and the only downside is my afternoons are booked and it makes it difficult to run, especially after needing to more or less rush home to look after this new addition to our family and facilitate her getting along with our other cat:

What I should start doing is running early in the morning, at least until cross country season ends. However, my work schedule is a bit atypical, to say the least. Fridays afford a little more freedom, and I got out for a nice five and a half in the woods this morning. The highlight was a huge pile of bear crap smack dab in the middle of the short stretch of paved road that leads to the trails. As a result, I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a bit more aware of my surroundings for the rest of the run. 

Ran 5.5 miles @ 9:38/mile pace. 

Trails, logging roads. 

Slightly hilly. 

Lower 40s, sunny. 

La Sportivas, shorts, long sleeved shirt, beanie. 

Life in Downeast Maine

Apple trees are everywhere. I see them in yards, on farms, off the Airline. Wild ones abound. I see them on the backroads, the logging roads, the trails I run on. No longer do I wonder why apple orchards don’t exist out this way. We have four apples tress in our backyard. One is a MacIntosh. One is a crab apple. I forget what the other two are, but they produce apples that are sweet and taste similar to the Mac. It's time to bake a pie.

We're new in a town of 265 residents. Word gets around fast and well over half of the new folks we've met already know of us. "Oh, you're the teachers." Yes, that's us.

From our house, it's a run down a one mile stretch of paved road until I reach the logging roads and trails. Every time, everyone I see along the way waves. It's always a friendly wave, something more than a courtesy.

The trails near our new home are nothing short of fantastic. They lead to scenic backwoods ponds lined with trees, full of trout (or so I hear) and void of camps. They climb steep hills and meander through amazing forests. I've seen footprints from moose, deer, raccoons and maybe a bobcat or lynx so far. I've also seen bear poop. However, with so much woods, it makes it easier for them to hide. I did see a porcupine this morning though. Hopefully other cool animals will be seen very soon.

I think that'll be the case.